A new kind of thievery or, at least, potential for fraud is on the rise: Criminals who can steal your credit card data by walking by you with electronic scanners, maybe even with their mobile phones. It's easy, however, to protect yourself.

The new threat exists because of the radio-frequency identification chips (RFID) or Near Field Communication (NFC) chips that are starting to be embedded in credit and debit cards. A modern thief can use this "swipe to pay" technology to capture your info by scanning your wallet or purse with an electronic scanner. It's not as easy for electronic pickpockets to get your wallet, however, as simply bumping into you, the Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch explains. The thief would have to hold the scanner next to your wallet or purse, unmoved for about 30 seconds, so you'd likely notice it—unless you were distracted or left your belongings unattended for such a time.

As in this video showing the same security issue with Barclays' contactless credit cards and how thieves can get the credit card info with an NFC-enabled mobile phone:

The good news is foiling electronic scanners is simple. You have two easy solutions. According to MarketWatch:

If you have two cards with RFID chips in your wallet, the scanner can't read them because they confuse the information and cancel each other out. [...]

If you're still worried about getting ripped off by someone invading your space with a notepad-like scanner, here's a tried-and-true precautionary move: Put a piece of aluminum foil in your wallet.